Batlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Batlay is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in either Baddiley in Cheshire, near Nantwich or Badley, a parish in Norfolk. There is also a Badley in Suffolk. 1

Early Origins of the Batlay family

The surname Batlay was first found in Essex and Suffolk, where the the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the first of the family. William de Badeleye held estates in Essex and Geoffrey de Badele held estates in Suffolk at that time. 1

Further north, Andrew Badly, was monk of Melrose, c. 1379-1380. 2

Early History of the Batlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Batlay research. Another 281 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1191, 1273, 1372, 1500, 1626, 1646, 1648, 1649, 1656, 1672, 1704, 1708, 1770, 1772 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Batlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Batlay Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Batlay family name include Batley, Battelay, Bateley, Batelay, Batlee and many more.

Early Notables of the Batlay family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Badiley (fl. 1649-1656), English admiral, apparently a merchant, ship-owner, and ship-captain, whom the course of the civil war called to a more stirring life. 3 John Batteley (1646-1708), was a Kentish antiquary and Archdeacon and Prebendary of Canterbury. He was the son...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Batlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Batlay family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Batlay surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Christopher Batley who sailed to Virginia in 1652 and Jeffry Batley to Barbados in 1679.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print